BOTTOM LINE
Superficial, Bland, And Irritating
RATING
1.75/5
Story, Screenplay, Direction: Subash Chandra
Cast: Sumanth Prabhas, Nidhi Pradeep, Jagapathi Babu, Rajeev Kanakala, Laila, Devi Prasad
Music Director: Naga Vamshi
DOP: Saai Santhosh
Editor: Anil Pasala
Producer: Abhinav Rao
Presented By: Asian Cinemas
Production Company: Redpuppet Productions
U.S. Distributor: Atharvana Bhadrakali Pictures
What Is the Film About?
Raju (Sumanth Prabhas) is a sincere and good-hearted auto driver. Maaya is a studious but mischievous girl who wouldn’t cross the line when it comes to her father’s word. She is also from a different religion. Fate brings them together, while the father has other plans.
What happens when Maaya realises his father, Shyambabu (Jagapathi Babu), wouldn’t accept the love? Did she manage to convince? The basic story of Godari Gattupaina is how Raju’s love story ends.
Performances
Sumanth Prabhas plays an auto driver in the movie. It is a relatable cum rooted ‘mass’ character that’s been missing from the repertoire of the second-tier heroes in recent years, forget the newcomers. However, the positivity ends at character choice itself. How it’s written and enacted leaves a lot to be desired.
For starters, Raju’s character comes across as very passive. He just lets the story pass by without being an active participant. It makes the act look dull and unengaging. The banal writing adds to the mix, making it forgettable.
Nidhi Pradeep, playing the female lead, gets a very important role. The entire movie rests on her ability to develop chemistry with the hero and make her character shine with bubbliness. None of it happens here because of the terrible characterisation she receives. The role gets irritating as it progresses and has no impact by the time it ends.
Analysis
Subhash Chandra writes and directs the movie. It is a simple love story which relies heavily on the moments and chemistry between the lead pair to pull things off.
The movie takes a lot of time to establish the world and the characters. There is nothing wrong with it if it delivers. However, nothing works, and even the few comic moments feel forced and don’t quite achieve the organic appeal the team is aiming for.
However, more than the world and the characters, the biggest problem is the love story and the lead pair, which are key to the proceedings. They don’t have any chemistry at all. The scenes written to develop the romance and evoke the emotion are, to say the least, lacklustre.
The entire first half makes one scratch one’s head at the way the love track progresses. What’s even more troubling is that the story doesn’t exist at all. It is just one moment after another, involving the lead pair and the father expressing his concerns on the other end, with no connection between them.
All of this brings us to the other problem by the time we reach the interval. One can see where the proceedings are headed, even though there is hardly any story to talk about. It is this sheer predictability and clueless narrative that make one wonder what could be there in the second half?
The second half starts on the same bland note as the first. On top of that, some of the messaging feels so forced and contrived. The whole religious angle and the message it wants to convey feel so out of place and corny in execution.
However, as things progress, a few emotional arcs do work. The father-daughter-lover angle slowly gets into the groove towards the pre-climax.
The pre-climax and climax are where the narrative turns passable. There is nothing out of the box or fresh content here. It is the same routine thing we have seen before, but it works and keeps things moving at an ordinary level. The emotions, even though highly routine, work. The father-daughter moments and the father’s moments with the hero are all decent despite the high predictability.
Finally, the ending is alright after all the bland and forced comedy and romance. However, it is not enough to erase the negative effects of past events.
Overall, Godari Gattupaina is a simple love story that stretches beyond the limits of patience. The first half, especially, is the culprit here with a clueless narrative where nothing happens. The lead pair, on whom a lot of time is wasted, have zero chemistry. The second half continues the frustration, but has passable final moments. However, that’s still far from enough to redeem the rest of the proceedings, given the sheer predictability. It ends up as one of the most superficial and utterly bland love stories in recent times.
Performances by Others Actors
Apart from the lead pair, Jagapathi Babu is the movie’s third main pillar. He does his part sincerely and is adequate. It is actually a walk in the park for him.
Sudarshan, as a hero comic sidekick, is okay. Some parts are definitely funny, but the overall material and the execution make it look like he is trying too hard. Rajkumar Kasireddy, Viva Raghav, and Rohit Krishna playing the hero’s gang are okay. The former easily has the better part among them.
The seniors Rajeev Kanakala, Laila, Devi Prasad, etc., each get a scene towards the end to draw some emotions. They are okay. Harshavardhan overacts. The rest of the cast is alright in what little they get to do.
Music and Other Departments?
Naga Vamshi provides the music and the background score. The former is forgettable, but the latter has a few moments that enhance its appeal, even if they’re brief. The cinematography is okay. The editing could have been better, especially in the first half.
Highlights?
Hard to Find
Drawbacks?
Lackluster Story
First Half
Terrible Execution
Love Track
Forced Emotions
Did I Enjoy It?
No. It is irritating for the most par
Will You Recommend It?
No. There is hardly anything to recommend.
Godari Gattupaina Movie Reviewed by Kalyan
